Madeline Adkins
Biography
Madeline Adkins joined the Utah Symphony as Concertmaster in 2016.
Prior to this appointment, she was a member of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO), performing as Associate Concertmaster from 2005-2016. She was also Concertmaster of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra from 2008-2016.
Adkins performs on the "ex-Chardon" Guadagnini of 1782, graciously loaned by Gabrielle Israelievitch to perpetuate the legacy of her late husband, former Toronto Symphony concertmaster, Jacques Israelievitch (1948 - 2015).
Madeline is a Concertmaster of the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra and has served as Guest Concertmaster with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, and the São Paulo Symphony, among many others. Adkins has also been a guest artist at numerous festivals including the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival in South Africa, the Sarasota Music Festival, Brevard, Jackson Hole Chamber Music, Sewanee Music Festival, and Music in the Mountains, as well as a clinician at the National Orchestral Institute, the National Youth Orchestra (NYO-USA), and the Haitian Orchestra Institute. In addition, she has served as the Music Director of the NOVA Chamber Music Series in Salt Lake City.
A sought-after soloist, Adkins has appeared with orchestras in Europe, Asia, Africa, and 26 US states, including over 25 works as soloist with the BSO, and 12 concertos as soloist with the Utah Symphony. Her recording of the complete works for violin and piano by Felix Mendelssohn with pianist Luis Magalhães on the TwoPianists label was released to critical acclaim. American Record Guide notes that Adkins and Magalhães are "ardent and spontaneous" and "their fierce coordination is breathtaking." Additional discography includes 13 albums with the Baltimore Symphony, where she was featured soloist on Brandenburg Concertos No. 2 + 4, and 7 albums thus far with the Utah Symphony, including Danse Macabre.
In 2021, Adkins premiered a new concerto for violin and orchestra that she commissioned from composer Nathan Lincoln de Cusatis entitled “The Maze” about the dramatic scenery and pictographs of the Maze section of Canyonlands National Park. Read more about The Maze here.
A champion of early music, Adkins has been active in baroque performance on period instruments since the age of 11. She has been a member of the Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Baroque, and Pro Musica Rara of Baltimore. With the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Adkins appeared as conductor and soloist in several baroque programs of her own design, as well as hosting concerts on the Casual Series. Since her arrival in Utah, she continues to lead conductor-less concerts with the Utah Symphony.
The daughter of noted musicologists, Adkins is the youngest of eight children, six of whom are professional musicians. The siblings, who included titled players in the National, Dallas, and Houston symphonies, joined together to form the Adkins String Ensemble. She performed on viola and violin with this unique chamber ensemble for over 15 years, and the group has made numerous recordings, including Schoenberg's Verklärte Nacht.
Adkins received her Bachelor’s summa cum laude from the University of North Texas and her Master’s degree from the New England Conservatory where she studied with James Buswell. While a student, she won first prize in a number of competitions, including the Stulberg International String Competition, the ASTA National Solo Competition, and the New England Conservatory Concerto Competition and was a second prize winner in the Irving Klein International String Competition.
Madeline serves as a Musician Director on the Board of the Grand Teton Music Festival and a member of the Advisory Board for the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. When not on stage, Madeline enjoys travel photography, reading, and exploring the West. She is also passionate about animal rescue and has fostered over 100 kittens! She currently volunteers for Ruffhaven Crisis Sheltering in Salt Lake City.